


Hugs

by littlealex



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-08
Updated: 2013-01-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 06:51:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlealex/pseuds/littlealex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ohno gives the best hugs. Sho needs them the most right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hugs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my new and improved [](http://rainbowfilling.livejournal.com/profile)[**rainbowfilling**](http://rainbowfilling.livejournal.com/) [prompt table](http://sleeptotwelve.livejournal.com/18918.html)! The prompt was "Sleep deprivation," one of my favorite Johnny's themes. I'm definitely getting bingo this month, I swear. This is also breaking me out of a serious writing dry spell, so I know it's not really slashy at all, but YOU GUYS, I WROTE OHNO POV! That counts a million points in my world. I never write Ohno.

Most days, Ohno doesn't feel like a leader. At the beginning, he didn't want to be one, and now Arashi can run by itself without needing someone to lead it, but he still has his moments, especially with Jun and Nino. They've both got their heads screwed on right, but they're still brats, and their moods can get in the way. Aiba's the most self-sufficient of all of them (though Ohno is secretly sure that his private life is the biggest mess of all of them, and that's saying something), and Sho... well, Ohno doesn't feel like he has any authority over Sho. It's not just the MC stance, or the newscaster job, it's that Sho feels like the sort of grown-up that Ohno will never be.

But every now and then, everyone needs a leader like Ohno.

The rest of Arashi knows that Sho's biggest weakness is his propensity to overcommit combined with an inability to prioritize his health above work. In the past, it's mostly come out in his eating habits, and there's not a drama that goes by without someone force-feeding him marshmallows just so they can rest easier at night. But being the biggest fan of sleep in Arashi, Ohno can see the smallest markers of sleep deprivation in Sho earlier than the others, who are so used to ignoring the signs in themselves they miss it in others.

Every Johnny's employee knows that the world record held for no sleep is 11 days, but debuted groups keep informal records for the fewest hours of sleep per week. It was Nakai for the longest time, at eight hours, but Kame beat him with just six in one seven-day period in 2006. It's not the sort of record any of them wants to beat, but it's in the back of everyone's mind when they do _24 Hour Television_ or a similar sort of stunt.

Ohno has it at the back of his mind when Sho comes into the _VS Arashi_ green room with the puffiest eyes he's seen in a while.

"Damn," Nino remarks, barely glancing up from his game. "Were you out clubbing or something last night?"

Sho hasn't had an all-nighter at a club since he was in university, and they all know this because the last time resulted in a very stern dressing-down from upper management. Sho frowns but doesn't say anything, dumping his things on the table before retreating to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

"Don't be a dick, Nino," Jun chastises. "You know he's busy with the new show and his drama and everything."

Sho returns from the bathroom looking refreshed if not more awake, and Ohno doesn't say anything to him this time. He just files away the memory for comparison the next few times he sees Sho, waiting for a trend to emerge.

Puffy eyes aren't the only thing that gives away sleep deprivation. They're the most obvious when Sho is newly tired, when he's been out drinking the night before or plain hasn't slept, but as time progresses there are little tells that only Ohno seems to see. Sho's eyes get tired first, and he has trouble reading things up close. The only way Ohno can tell is an extra blink or two before Sho reads something aloud on television, but he can tell.

The thing that makes Ohno speak up, though, is a slight loss in balance. Sho is known for being bad at sports, but he's not generally clumsy. So when Sho continually drops his pencil as he spins it, and knocks over a glass of water, and trips over Aiba's legs all in the space of an hour, Ohno mumbles something about a vending machine and follows Sho into the hallway.

"Can I talk to you?" It's more of a statement than a question, but Sho nods and they take a detour into the stairwell.

Sho tries to hold the door open for Ohno but doesn't quite catch it. "What's up?" he asks as the door closes behind the both of them.

"You're not getting enough sleep," Ohno says matter-of-factly. Sho opens his mouth to say something, but Ohno holds his hand up. "It's okay. It's just... not okay. Do you need help with anything?" They've got a lot on their plates - they always do - but Ohno doesn't have anything extra to worry about at the moment. The least he can do is pick up some slack.

Sho sighs, his shoulders slumping, and his next breath turns into a yawn. He smiles and nods. "There is something you can do," he says, and reaches out to pull Ohno into a hug.

Ohno's the warmest member of Arashi - at least, that's what the others have told him - and that, coupled with him being the smallest, makes him the best at giving hugs. Aiba once said that hugging Ohno was like hugging his favorite stuffed animal when he was a child, and the others agreed. Ohno doesn't know what it's like to get a hug like that, but he loves giving them, especially when someone's in need.

This time, Sho seems to melt into his arms, and Ohno finds himself supporting some of his weight with a firm grip around Sho's waist. Sho's breathing begins to slow after a moment, and Ohno doesn't move for fear of breaking the moment. They stand there in silence for a good few minutes, and even Ohno closes his eyes and takes the time to empty his mind, breathing in the scent of Sho's washing powder and soap.

It feels like they've escaped to another world, carved out of silence and the darkness of eyelids, warm and soothing. They're jolted from their shared reverie by Ohno's phone vibrating in his pocket, startled into breaking the embrace and pulling away. The message is just Aiba asking where they've gone to and for Ohno to bring back a warm red bean drink from the vending machine, but the silence is broken now and they can't go back.

Sho looks more tired now, but also happier, and Ohno can see the beginnings of a de-stressed forehead. Ohno smiles and puts his hand over Sho's forearm. "Eight hours. Promise me." He can see Sho starting to do some mental arithmetic. "I'll call your manager," Ohno insists, shaking Sho's arm to punctuate his point.

Sho smiles, his forehead clearing further, and nods. "Eight hours. Promise."

They don't see each other the next day, but at lunch time Ohno gets a message from Sho that lets him know the promise was kept. " _As always, Leader, you have the best hugs._ "


End file.
